Ammunition-vehicle.



Patented AJune 8, 1909. 1 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. MAYBE. AMHUNITIGN VEHICLE. .srrmonron unan AUG 1907 E QW uns an.wluummu. xx'c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILHELM MAYER, OFvESSEN-ON-THE-RUHR, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO FRIED. KRUPPAKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, OF ESSEN-ON-THE-BUHR, GERMANY.

ANCMUNITION-VEHICLE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented .Tune 8, 1909.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILHELM MAYER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany,and a resident of Essen-on-the-Ruhr, Germany, have invented certain newand useful lmprovements in Ammunition -Vehicles, of which the followingis a specification.

The present invention relates to an ammunition vehicle, such as anammunition wagon or limber, which is provided with a protecting shieldfor the serving crew.

The accompanying drawings show the invention applied to a tiltingammunition wagon by way of example.

Figure 1 is a side view of the ammunition wagon in the travelingposition; Fig. 2 is the corresponding front view, partly in section;Fig. 3 shows a part of Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale Fig. 4 shows a partof Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale; Fig. 5 is a rear view of the ammunitionwagon in the tilted position, and Fig. 6 is the corresponding top view,the gun being shown in dotted lines.

The Wheel axle B projects through the wagon box A which serves forholding ammunition. The pole C is jointed to the bottom wall of thewagon box andcan be firmly connected therewith by means of a key bolt D(Figs. 1 and 2). On the free end of the pole C is arranged the eye c(Fig. 1) which is connected to the pole in a manner to be easilydetached therefrom through the medium of a squared projection or tonguec2 and a key or the like.

E (Figs. 1 and 5) is a foot by means of which the wa on box A can reston the ground when tlgie wagon is in the tilted position. The wa on boxis provided with a door having its eaves F and FZ connected to the sidewalls of the wagon box by means of hinges G.

The front part of the door-leaves F and F2 forms the bottom of the seatfor the serving crew. Stirrups H, which form the arms of the seat, aresecured to the outer edge of the front part of the leaves which arecovered with cushions (not shown in the drawings). A protecting shield Jserves as back for the seat and carries two pintles i for which bearingeyes f 3 are provided on `the leaves F and F2. A brace K, whichvhas oneend jointed tothe leaf F2 and the other end of which can be secured tothe protecting shield J by means of a key bolt L, serves to secure theshield in the position in which it forms the back for the seat. On theprotecting shield is arranged a cam 'i2 which is provided with threenoses i3, i, and i5 (Fig. 3). The noses 'i3 and i5 are wedge-shaped andserve the purpose of enga ing in corres ondng recesses in two presslatesf 4 when t e shield is in the position in which it forms the back of theseat for the serving crew. The press plates are secured to the leaves Fand F2 at the edges which are turned toward each other when the door isclosed. The nose i4 of the cam i2 is located between the noses i3 and i5and is of such a form that it can engage without play in the spacebetween the two press plates f4, when the shield is in the position justmentioned, thereby securing the shield against lateral displacement.

At one of the short sides of the shield J is secured a tongue orprojection i. which is similar to the tongue c2 of the eye c. so thatthe shield can be fitted on the poleof the ammunition wagon (Fig. 5) inlieu of the eye c For the tongue i is further provided an eye a (Figs.2, 5 and 6) at the bottom of the wagon box A. The shield is furtherrovided with a sight openin i7 (Figs. 2 an 5), with a holder e9 for asa( dle-sha ed seat M (Fig. 5) and with two eyes is. he eyes is areadapted to receive the pintles i of another proteoting shield of thebattery correspending to the shield J.

On that edge of the door lea-f F which is outermost 'when the door isopen (Fig. 6) there are inally provided two eyes]f5 (see in particularFig. 5) for the pintles 'i' of the protecting shield.

ln the traveling position of the ammunition wagon the several partsassume the position shown in Figs. 1 to 4. In this instance theprotecting shield J forms the back of the seat for the serving crew andthe noses 'i3 and i5 of the cam L2 hold the door F F2 of the wagon boxthrough the medium of the press plates f 4, thereby making a speciallocking device for the door unnecessary. The protecting shield is heldagainst displacementJ by the nose i4 of the cam i2.

When it is desired to bring the wagon into the tilted position after itIhas been unlimbered and placed adjacent to the correspondthe wagon boxis tilted rearwardly until lits foot E rests on the ground. At the sametime the pole C swings downwardly to make the eye c rest on the ground.The key bolt L is then removed, the brace K is folded over and the.rotecting shield is turned about the axis of 'tile p'intles i until thenoses 'i3 i* 'i5 are out of engagement with 'the press plates f4. Theprotecting shield is then moved in the direction ofthe arrow :J: (Fig.2) until the pintles i pass out of engagement with the eyes f3 and theprotecting shield is then hung with the pin-tles i in the eyes f5 of thedoor leaf F. If 'the door is thereupon opened and the protecting shieldis turned outwardly about the axis ofthe pintles t" the shield coverslthe gap between the ammunition wagon and the gun to which it belongs,as seen in Fig. 6.

If the ammunition Wagon is to be used in the tilted position for viewingurposes the pole() is again elevated and iirm y secured to the wagon boxby means of the key bolt D.

'One of the serving crew then climbs vthe pole C, using the steps c3arranged thereon, and removes the eye c and 'lits the protecting shieldon the pole in lieu thereof (F1 5). To the protecting shield is thensecure' the saddle M for the observer who now, seated on'the saddle and4protected by vthe shield, can look through the o iening il.

If a lower eight `of observation is suilicient the protecting shield issecured on the ammunition wagon in the position shown in dotted lines inFig. 5 through the medium 'of the tongue i and eye a. Furthermore theprotecting shield 'can be used for producing a cover to be erected atany desired point of the terrain. For this purpose several protectingshields belonging to different ammunition wagons are united to aprotecting wall by means ofthe intles i and eyes is.

The invention can lbe applied in a similar manner yto limbers.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. An ammunition vehicle embodying in its structure a shield-likeportion bodily removable therefrom; said vehicle and said shield-likeportion having in'terengaging means for detachably mounting theshieldlike portion in a plurality of independent and separated locationson the vehicle.

2. An ammunition vehicle embodying in its structure a shield-likeportion bodily reeeasee movable therefrom; said vehicle and sashield-like portion having interengagi] means for detachably mountingthe shiel like portion in a plurality of independent ai 'separatedlocations on the vehicle in whit locations the shield-like portionserves as tl "back df a 'seat for the serving crew and ing gun, the keybolt D is first removed and shielding means respectively.

3. An ammunition vehicle embodying its structure a shield-like portionbodily I movable therefrom; said vehicle and lsa shield-like portionhaving interengagii means for detachably mounting the shiel like portionin a plurality of independe and separated locations on the vehicle, tlinterengaging means on lthe 'shield-like pc `tion being provided ataplurality of sep rated points thereon to adapt the shield-lil portion tobe mounted in diiie'rent relati positions in the several locations.

Y 4. In an ammunition `vehicle, a box, shield, eyes on the box, 'andp'intles on tl shield adapted to lbe inserted the eyes the box to hold'the shield in a position which it forms the back of a seat for tlserving crew.

5. In an ammunition vehicle, a box ha ing a door, a shield having aplurality means for detachably attaching it to 'the v 'hicle in aplurality o'f independent andvsejp rated positions, one of said meansbei] adapted to support the shield independent of its other positions tocause it to form tl back of a seat lfor Ithe serving crew, 'ai meanscarried by 'the shield for holding tl door ofthe box closed when theshield 'fo'i the back of the seat. A

6. In an ammunition vehicle havii wheels, a tilting box having va door,a shiel and means for securing 'the shield to the do to cause 'theshield 'to project laterally b yond 'the Wheels to cover the gap b'etyvethe rgun and the ammunition vehicle 'Whi the box is tilted and the dooris open.,

7. In an ammunition vehicle, a tiltil box, a pole arranged to extendupward when the box is in tilted position, a shiel and means forsecuring said shield to tl free end o'f lthe pole the free end of thebeing provided with means 'for engagil said securing means.

8. In an ammunition vehicle, a -t'iltii box, a pole arranged to extendupward when the box is in tilted position, a 'remo able eye on the endof the pole and -a shie provided with means for fitting the 'end thepole in lieu of the eye.

9. In an ammunition vehicle having pole, a shield having a -plurality of'mea for detachably attaching it to the vehicle' a plurality ofindependent and separati positions; one of sald means being 'adapt tosupport the shield adjacent to the pc independently of the otherpositions of the the opposite ed e of the shield adapted to 10 shieldand the vehicle being provided with secure the detec ed shields ofseveral vehimeans for engaging said supporting means. eles together toform a. protecting cover.

10. In an ammunition vehicle, e shield, The foregoing specificationsigned at Dsand means for supporting said shield in a seldorf, Germany,this iirst da of July, 1907. plurality of independent and separated po-WILHEL MAYER. sitions; said shield being detachable and In presenceofhaving its sup orting means comprising ALFRED POHLMEYER, pintles atone e ge of the shield und eyes et M. ENGELS.

